Shoulder-pad.



W. A. THORNHILL,

SHOULDER PAD. APPLICATION FILED PEB.27,1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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nnrrn WILLIAM A. THORNHILL, OF GIBBON, OKLAHOMA.

SHOULDER-PAID.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

Application filed February 27, 1912. Serial No. 680,358.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, l/VILLTAM A. THORN- HILL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Gibbon, in the county of Grant and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoulder-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoulder pads for draft animals, and particularly for horses.

The object of the invention is to provide a pad of this character involving certain novel features of construction, which are adapted for use without the employment of the usual collar. In other words, it is intended to provide a pad adapted to have the hames bear directly thereagainst.

The purpose of this structure is particularly to provide means for curing sores upon the shoulders of horses. In many instances, heavy and stiff collars employed cause sores to form upon the shoulders of horses, and I have found by actual trial, that a pad of this nature when used in place of the collar, not only relieves the irritation sufficiently to permit the curing of the sores, but when employed, prevents the formation of sores.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder pad constructed in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through a portion thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates the shoulder pad. This shoulder pad is quilted longitudinally and is quite thick, from two and a half to three inches. This thickness permits the use of the hames 6, directly against the shoulder pad and without the employment of the usual collar. Preferably, spring steel clasps 7 are employed to hold the hames in proper position. By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that these spring clasps have their open portions toward. the front of the pad so that in stead of these clasps being employed for the purpose of holding the pad in place, they are employed for the purpose of holding the hames in place, the pad being retained in position by passing over the neck of the animal and being provided with straps 8 and buckles 9 for drawing it together at the bottom. The clasps 7 may be secured in place in any desired manner. In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the shanks 10 of these clasps as being embedded in the pad 5 and secured by whip stitching, or otherwise, indicated at 11. sweat pads for horses to fit beneath the ordinary collar, have long been employed, but the herein described pad differs from these sweat pads in two important particulars. First, it is self sustaining; that is, it is closed at the top and fits over the horses neck. and when drawn together by the straps and buckles at the bottom, is efliciently held in place, and in turn holds the hames in place. A second important difference is that the clasps are made of the proper size and configuration to receive the hames and are forwardly directed instead of being rearwardly directed, as is usually the case. The hooks ordinarily provided upon pads of this nature are rearwardly directed to engage the roll rim of the collar and their function is to hold the pad in place, but in the present invention, the clasps have an entirely different function, the pad being self supported and the hooks being properly directed to retain the hames. To further aid in holding the hames securely in position, the pad at the point where the hames are located, is quilted longitudinally to form comparatively deep grooves 12, that is, grooves much deeper than are formed by the usual quilting. The hames lie in these grooves, and the clasps 7 serve to prevent the dislodgment of the hames from said grooves.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the distance from the point of the hooks to the body of the pad is less than the diameter of the hames, so that the hames have to be sprung in beneath these hooks and consequcntly there is no danger of the hames working out when the horse is standing.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and e'flicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objccts of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I am aware of the fact that p Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A hame supporting pad of the character described, closed at the top and open at the bottom and formed of heavy quilted material, means for drawing the lower ends of said pad together, and hame supporting clasps of hook shape having their open portions directed toward the front of the pad, the distance between the end of said clasps and the body of the pad, being less than the diameter of the hames.

2. A hame supporting pad of the character described formed of heavy quilted material and open at one end, means for drawing the ends of said pad together, hame supporting clasps of hook shape carried by said pad and having their open portions directed toward the front of the pad, the distance between the end of said clasps and the body of the pad being less than the diameter of the hames, said pad being quilted to form longitudinally extending grooves of considerable depth, in which said hames lie.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. THORNHILL. WVitnesses:

J. C. STEVENSON, F. Y. KENNY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

